The invention pertains generally to a wear resistant cutting tool that is useful for the impingement of a substrate or earth strata such as, for example, asphaltic roadway material, coal deposits, mineral formations and the like.
A cutting tool typically presents a generally elongate, cylindrical geometry. The cutting tool comprises an elongate steel cutting tool body, which has an axially forward end and an opposite axially rearward end. A hard cutting member typically affixes to the axial forward end of the cutting tool body. The cutting tool body typically carries an assembly or means by which the cutting tool is rotatable and carried by a stationary block or holder on a drum. Alternatively, the cutting tool can be non-rotatable, i.e. fixed in place, within the block or holder on a drum.
During operation such as, for example, in a road planning application or a mining application, the holder or block carrying the cutting tool is driven forward to impinge the earth strata thereby breaking or disintegrating the earth strata. As can be appreciated, severe forces are exerted on the cutting tools and especially on the cutting tool bodies and hard cutting members. It is thus important that the cutting tool body and the hard cutting members possess optimum properties suitable to withstand such a severe operating environment for an acceptable duration.
Thus, it can be appreciated that cutting tools can experience wear in a number of ways due to the environment in which they operate and must be frequently replaced. It would thus be highly desirable to provide an improved cutting tool that experiences an increase in useful tool life as compared to heretofore known cutting tools.